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Chapter 8. Observing Eurolects

The case of Greek
  • Vilelmini Sosoni , Katia Lida Kermanidis and Sotirios Livas
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Observing Eurolects
This chapter is in the book Observing Eurolects

Abstract

The present paper presents the findings from the analysis of the Greek corpus of European Union directives spanning the years 1999–2008 (corpus A) and the corpus of the legal instruments used to transpose them into Greek law (corpus B). The aim of the analysis is to verify the existence of a Greek Eurolect, born through translation, and to highlight the differences between this new legal variety and the corresponding Greek legal variety. The findings of the study are particularly interesting as they point to the existence of a Greek Eurolect characterised by Europeisms on a lexical level; morphosyntactic preferences which do not conform to the Greek legal language conventions and norms; an extensive use of the future tense as a result of translating English shall into Greek; and an oscillation between the use of Κatharevousa and Demotiki, that is an H-variety and an L-variety of the Greek language.

Abstract

The present paper presents the findings from the analysis of the Greek corpus of European Union directives spanning the years 1999–2008 (corpus A) and the corpus of the legal instruments used to transpose them into Greek law (corpus B). The aim of the analysis is to verify the existence of a Greek Eurolect, born through translation, and to highlight the differences between this new legal variety and the corresponding Greek legal variety. The findings of the study are particularly interesting as they point to the existence of a Greek Eurolect characterised by Europeisms on a lexical level; morphosyntactic preferences which do not conform to the Greek legal language conventions and norms; an extensive use of the future tense as a result of translating English shall into Greek; and an oscillation between the use of Κatharevousa and Demotiki, that is an H-variety and an L-variety of the Greek language.

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Acknowledgements xiii
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Chapter 2. The Eurolect Observatory Multilingual Corpus 27
  7. Chapter 3. Observing Eurolects 47
  8. Chapter 4. Observing Eurolects 63
  9. Chapter 5. Observing Eurolects 93
  10. Chapter 6. Observing Eurolects 121
  11. Chapter 7. Observing Eurolects 147
  12. Chapter 8. Observing Eurolects 169
  13. Chapter 9. Observing Eurolects 199
  14. Chapter 10. Observing Eurolects 243
  15. Chapter 11. Observing Eurolects 267
  16. Chapter 12. Observing Eurolects 295
  17. Chapter 13. Observing Eurolects 329
  18. Chapter 14. Conclusions 369
  19. Subject index 393
  20. Language index 395
https://doi.org/10.1075/scl.86.08sos

Chapters in this book

  1. Prelim pages i
  2. Table of contents v
  3. Preface vii
  4. Acknowledgements xiii
  5. Chapter 1. Introduction 1
  6. Chapter 2. The Eurolect Observatory Multilingual Corpus 27
  7. Chapter 3. Observing Eurolects 47
  8. Chapter 4. Observing Eurolects 63
  9. Chapter 5. Observing Eurolects 93
  10. Chapter 6. Observing Eurolects 121
  11. Chapter 7. Observing Eurolects 147
  12. Chapter 8. Observing Eurolects 169
  13. Chapter 9. Observing Eurolects 199
  14. Chapter 10. Observing Eurolects 243
  15. Chapter 11. Observing Eurolects 267
  16. Chapter 12. Observing Eurolects 295
  17. Chapter 13. Observing Eurolects 329
  18. Chapter 14. Conclusions 369
  19. Subject index 393
  20. Language index 395
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